1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to tailgates on pickup trucks and station wagons and, more particularly, to devices especially adapted for attaching to the tailgates.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Pickup trucks have truck beds for carrying loads and tailgates for retaining the loads on the beds. More specifically, when a tailgate is in an up or vertical orientation, the tailgate serves to confine the load to the truck bed area. However, the tailgate is generally lowered in order to load and unload the truck bed. There may be times, however, when the length of a load is greater than the length of the truck bed. In such a case, the tailgate may be left in a lowered or horizontal orientation when the lengthy load is carried. A problem exists, however, with the tailgate in the lowered position. That is, the load is no longer confined by a vertically oriented tailgate. In this respect, it would be desirable if a device were provided that helped confine a lengthy load on a truck bed even though the tailgate is in a lowered position.
When a lengthy load extends out from a truck bed and over a tailgate in a lowered position, it would be desirable if a device were provided that included an auxiliary, vertically-oriented tailgate that serves to confine the lengthy load onto the truck bed, even with the original tailgate in the lowered position.
There are some lengthy loads whose length even exceeds the sum of the length of the truck bed and the length of the tailgate in a lowered position. For such even greater lengthy loads, it would be desirable if a device were provided that enabled an auxiliary tailgate to be adjusted so that the auxiliary tailgate can be placed in a vertical orientation to help confine the even greater lengthy load.
Throughout the years, a number of innovations have been developed relating to extending the effective horizontal length of a tailgate, and the following U.S. Pat. Nos. are representative of some of those innovations: 4,023,850; 4,114,944; 4,531,773; 4,778,213; 5,113,584; and 5,116,096. Although the above-cited patents disclose devices for extending the effective horizontal length of a tailgate, none of the patented devices relate to an auxiliary tailgate that is adapted to be placed in a vertical orientation to help confine a lengthy load on a truck bed.
Still other features would be desirable in an auxiliary tailgate apparatus. Many pickup trucks are manufactured and sold every year, and it would be desirable if an auxiliary tailgate apparatus were provided on newly manufactured pickup trucks and other tailgate-containing vehicles. Moreover, there are millions of tailgate-containing vehicles currently in use. In this respect, it would be desirable if a device were provided that enabled a currently-in-use tailgate-containing vehicle to be retrofitted to include an auxiliary tailgate that can be placed in a vertical orientation to help confine a lengthy load to a truck bed.
Thus, while the foregoing body of prior art indicates it to be well known to use extensions for tailgates, the prior art described above does not teach or suggest an auxiliary tailgate apparatus which has the following combination of desirable features: (1) helps confine a lengthy load on a truck bed even though the tailgate is in a lowered position; (2) includes an auxiliary, vertically-oriented tailgate that serves to confine the lengthy load onto the track bed, even with the original tailgate in the lowered position; (3) enables an auxiliary tailgate to be adjusted so that the auxiliary tailgate can be placed in a vertical orientation to help confine an even greater lengthy load on the truck bed; (4) provides an auxiliary tailgate on newly manufactured pickup trucks and other tailgate-containing vehicles; and (5) enables a currently-in-use tailgate-containing vehicle to be retrofitted to include an auxiliary tailgate that can be placed in a vertical orientation to help confine a lengthy load to a truck bed. The foregoing desired characteristics are provided by the unique auxiliary tailgate apparatus of the present invention as will be made apparent from the following description thereof. Other advantages of the present invention over the prior art also will be rendered evident.